The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-29
apeotacles.


perhaps some wealth in aiding people
to read should contribute something for
them to read. Thus reasoning, Tri-
bune reporter entered the store of 9
prominent optician in Broadway for
some information about spectacles and
eye glasses.
II hardly know where to begin an
swering your long list of questions, "
said the optician. "Spectacles have to
be worn by some children of five years,
and by persons in all ages. 1t is diff
cult to state when sight is likely to fail,
for sickness, accidents, certain profes-
sions, excessive or careless reading, and
the natural decay of strength, all tend
to one result. BY careless reading mean
reading in unsteady or dim light. Read
ing while travelling, especially in fast
trains, is . tempting pastime, but 1t
sadly strains the best of eyes. A man
should not as a habit, smoke and read
at the same time The blur of the smoke
imposes unequal work upon the twoeyes.
One should not raise his eyes suddenlyto-
ward a strong or vivid light after intently
pouring over printed matter. The shock
is severe. A number of trades and du-
ties wear heavily upon thR eyes. En-
gravers, jewellers, watchmakers, proof
readers, compositors, and persons who
have to handle shining metals, all suffer
in some degree from poor sight. The
sewing machine has proved a great saw
ing for woman's eyes. In former times,
constant sewing with the ordinary
needle upon white fabric, or narrow
striped goods of any color, had damag-
ing and sometimes binding effect.
Eyes I've heard tight lacing and tight
shoes spoken of as bad for the eyes, but
] guess the old surgeons remark that
anything unnatural is bad for anything,
about covers the case.
1T is an unsafe plan for people to Sc
lect glasses from the stock of peddlers
or other irresponsible Venders. l am
willing that every one should make q
living, but the eye is too delicate and
valuable is be trifed with. Some of
these venders may know something of
the opticians profession, but as q rule
have noticed that their customers
have need to be both purchasers and
scientists. Now, when you get your
shoes, you do not allow the shoemaker
or seller to make your feet fit the shoes.
And assure you there can be as badly
fitting glasses as shoes.
What is a positive indication that
sight is weakening? The failure is
most noticeable in reading; when one
finds himself throwing back the head
and contracting the brow or stretching
out the arm, so as to be surer of deciph-
ering the print or script he holds, there
is unmistakable evidence of the need Of
optical assistance. The defect, how
ever, may not be permanent, in persons
under thirty-hye years of age have
known cases where the normal sight
has been restored by the timely use Of
correct glasses. It would be good
economy OF vision il many were to be-
gin the wearing of glasses early, under
the advice of skillful and experienced
optician. People go to the dentist
quite regularly about their teeth and to
the physician about trifing complaints,
while few seem to consider the impor-
tance Of helping or protecting natures
great gift of sight. The waning action,
however, is in most cases so gradual
that people don't trouble themselves un-
til compelled to-.
You will get here good idea of the
care required in our work when fitting
glasses for steady use. You have no.
ticed how many times the focus Of an
opera glass has to be adjusted to suit q
group of lockers on at performance
Well, the same variation of eve power
occurs on multitude. BY the way,
protracted use of an opera glass is un-
favorable to the eyes. Ladies often OBJ
ject to the wearing of glRssess for fear
of appearing advanced in age; then,
again, there are some Of both sexes who
wear them simply because they are be-
coming or give an intellectual cast to
their faces. So you see, whimsical
pride visits our trade as we'll as other.
How far does our science date back
China, / believe, is the oldest known
nation having the ingenuity to prepare
glass to aid defective sight They have
not advanced beyond their first ideas.
The artists Of Europe and America
have developed wonderful improve
ments within the last half century.
The most expensive lenses for frame
or springs are made from pebble .
white transparent rock-crystal found in
Brazil have known some Of these
hard-pebble lenses 10 be polished with
diamond dust. AS to their being better
than the best white glass, that is q mat
ter Of caprice Some Of my wealthiest
customers prefer glass and Il is the
opinion Of some opticians that the insy
tense polish Of the pebble L not favor
able to the wearer. Fine emery ground
glass is good enough. Our glasses are
largely imported Grinding glasses Is
Rgreat industry in France and Germany.
England also turns out some fine work.
They can be ground here. but II IL rare